this morning, the world wakes to the news that a joint of human and civil rights is gone. nelson mandela, a guiding force, reve revered, forever changing history. >> recognize that apartheid has no future. >> he spent nearly three decades in prison, emerging to become the first black president of south africa. a father figure to his people. and to millions around the world. this morning, new reaction from every corner of the world. >> i cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that nelson mandela set. >> right now on "america this morning," abc news remembers nelson mandela, a man who

changed the world. ♪ and this morning, the world wakes to news of a giant of human and civil rights gone. nelson mandela, a guiding force for millions, revered for forever changing history. >> she spent nearly three decades in prison, becoming the first black president in south africa. father figure to millions around the globe. >> people around the world are remembering nelson mandela, a symbol of forbearance, peace and dignity. we have pictures from south africa, where people have been celebrating the former leader's life, by chancing through the streets overnight. >> alex marquardt is there, where they're trying to come to grips with the death of an icon. >> reporter: there's a profound sense of loss and mourning that's swept the entire country. celebrations like this one, right outside mandela's home,

we've seen spring up around the country. south africans marking the passing of this great man by celebrating his life. it was just before midnight that south african president jacob zuma announced to the nation and to the world, that nelson mandela had died. >> this is the moment of our deepest sorrow. our nation has lost its greatest son. >> reporter: tributes quickly poured in from around the world, including from president barack obama. >> we've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth. >> reporter: that love, shown in the massive crowds that quickly gathered outside mandela's home and around the country. singing and dancing, joyfully celebrating the life of a man who gave so many hope and freedom. >> i think we should celebrate what he has achieved and what he's given us. i wouldn't be here.

i wouldn't be free, as i say, if it wasn't for him. >> reporter: south africa's first black president was surrounded by much of his family when he passed away. now, ten days of national mourning will start, during which mandela will lie in state in the capital, pretoria, so south africans can say their final good-byes, before he's taken back to his ancestral village for burial. here at home, the u.s. paying its highest respects. >> president obama has given the order to fly u.s. flags at half-staff, saying n ining mand longer belongs to us. and people are reacting to the news of mandela's death. >> tahman bradley has the latest from washington. >> reporter: americans are paying their respects from indiana to harlem, new york, to brooklyn. >> he was still very strong. >> reporter: in washington, people gathered at mandela's statue outside the south african embassy.

>> for me, it's a sense of my boys can have the opportunity to do a lot more things. >> reporter: president obama, attending a hanukkah reception last night at the white house, remembered mandela as a champion of human rights. >> a moral giant who embodied the dignity and the courage and hope. and sought to bring about justice, not only in south africa, but i think inspire millions around the world. >> reporter: those millions, moved by mandela's long walk to freedom. imprisoned for 27 years. he became a global symbol of the fight against apartheid. from his tiny cell, mandela rallied millions against racism and injustice. in 1990, the south african government, under heavy pressure at home and around the world, released mandela, and began dismantling apartheid. >> never again shall we be.

the spirit, the oppression. >> reporter: south africa will hold a memorial service in a 90,000-seat stadium. president obama plans to attend. >> president obama said he was inspired by nelson mandela. what impact did he have on the president's life? >> reporter: huge impact. he met nelson mandela only once in 2005, when the president was a u.s. senator. but he studied nelson mandela's writings and works. he said the first political action was to attend an anti-apartheid rally. the president toured mandela's cell on robin island after he took office. and mrs. obama, michelle obama, along with her daughters, sasha and malia, they visited mandela, reading a book with him. and also talking with him. obviously, mandela, south africa's first black president, a huge inspiration to the u.s.'s

first black president and his family. >> tahman bradley, live in washington for us this morning. you heard tahman reference that memorial service that will be held in a football stadium. it's part of a logistical nightmare south african officials are facing. >> it's likely that most of the living u.s. presidents will travel to south africa. dozens of other dignitaries will attend. the event is being likened to organizing a world cup, plus a coronation and inauguration at the same time. >> bill clinton was in power when nellman mandela took power. we will remember him as a man of uncommon grace and compassion. >> reporter: mandela's two youngest daughters were in london at the time of his death, attending a premiere about the film of his life. >> they left immediately. but they asked the film be played to the end. the audience was told that mandela had died when the credits rolled. prince william was one of those

watching the film. >> sad and tragic news. we're reminded what an extraordinary and inspiring man nelson mandela was. >> british actor, idris allbaugh said, we have lost one of the greatest beings to have ever walk this earth. another big story we're watching closely. a severe blast of cold air. dangerous temperatures are gripping much of the country. we'll show you where it's heading next. along with the ice and snow. and mourning madiba. much more, including the jail guard, with a remarkable story about helping the imprisoned leader.

welcome back. a deep freeze is threatening the safety of nearly 200 million people across much of america this morning. >> the area especially hard-hit stretches from texas to the great lakes. the brutal conditions, bone-chilling temperatures and heavy accumulations of ice and snow. oklahoma under a state of emergency. one of many southern-central states crippled by treacherous conditions. that area can expect up to six inches of snow, with temperatures colder than alaska. industrial-sized power generators are in place. the best advice, stay indoors. stay off the roads. and parts of texas through arkansas and tennessee, will be under ice storm warnings throughout the day. stores across the region are running out of supplies. and the expected half-inch or more of ice will bring dangerous driving conditions and widespread power outages. accuweather meteorologist jim dickey is tracking all of it for

us. >> staying frigid across the northern plains, the midwest into the rockies. many spots well down below zero. minus 4 in minneapolis. minus 12 in denver. minus 15 into pierre. as that cold filters off to the south and's, an area of ice and snow continues. an ice storm continues across arkansas into west kentucky, west tennessee, moving into the ohio valley and northeast. john and diana, back to you. >> jim, thank you. if you're flying, a list of possible airport delays is long. dallas, memphis, atlanta, charlotte, d.c., philadelphia, new york, boston, houston and new orleans. in other news, florida state quarterback jameis winston will not face sexual assault charges. there's too many gaps in the accuser's story. winston's a leading heisman trophy candidate. he will lead the seminoles in tomorrow's acc title game. here's a landing attempt you have to see to believe. this is an emirates airlines jet

trying to land in fierce wind. the captain tried to land twice. he had to fly to london and land there. the wild ride had one passenger tweeting out, quote, never flying again. >> you look at that video. and that captain made the right choice. that nose is going another direction from the runway. >> coming in sideways. when we come back, remembering nelson mandela. reactions pouring in from celebrities about his passing. our special coverage, nellmson mandela, a man who changed the world, continues. at university of phoenix we know the value of your education is where it can take you. (now arriving city hospital.) which is why we're proud to help connect our students with leading employers across the nation. (next stop financial center.)

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call me. [ laughter ] i'll call you. [ laughter ] >> nelson mandela showing his humorous side almost ten years ago when he bowed out of public life. >> the public never got enough of him. and this morning, crowds gathering outside of mandela's home in johannesburg. the former south african president died at 95 years old. he is being remembered for his fight against apartheid. a sacrifice that influenced millions, including president obama. >> today, he's gone home. we've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will ever share time with on this earth. he no longer belongs to us. he belongs to the ages. >> it will be nearly two weeks of mourning in south africa. and nelson mandela will lie in state in pretoria until he is buried in his ancestral village. robin roberts got to meet

him three years ago. >> she described her experience to diane sawyer on "world news." >> when i broke to graca machel, i asked what is her husband's legacy going to be? and she said, a visionary leader. and it is the quality, the quality of leadership. >> robin went on to say that mandela wanted to right the wrongs and give each one of us the feeling that we could do the same thing, too. >> mandela showed the world the meaning of true forgiveness. by the time he walked out of prison, he had formed an unlikely bond with one of his jailers. abc's david muir explains. >> reporter: cristo brand peers out over the water, to the former prison on robin island, where he first reported for duty at 18. >> they informed us we're going to meet the biggest criminals in the history of south africa. >> reporter: nelson mandela was nearly 60. forced to sleep on the floor. the young jailer's family was afrikaner, the party that

supported apartheid. but when the young jailer met mandela, he met an elder who would treat the young white man with respect. and the jailer would slowly offer the same in return. cristo brand told us of one of winnie mandela's visits. >> just leave the child. >> reporter: no children allowed. not even his precious new grand baby. while she waited in a holding area, that jailer had secretly brought the baby to mandela. >> there were just tears coming out of his eyes. >> reporter: and no one ever knew? >> no one knew. >> reporter: all of the isolating years on robin island, the prison guard said there was one view of the country nelson mandela loved. that was the top of table mountain here in capetown behind me. that mandela would look to this view, wondering if he'd ever be free. but mandela was always preparing for that day. he asked the jailer to teach him africans, the language of the whites in power. there were essays and the red pen that corrected them.

on the day mandela was released, his speech was delivered in africans. mandela famously said, if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. if you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. >> that's what he did. that's what he strived for. that's what he loved for. that's what he fighted for while he was in prison, to have people live in peace. >> reporter: the jailer, who became a trusted friend, now remembering nelson mandela. >> incredible story there. he touched so many lives. talk show titan oprah winfrey weighing in on mandela's passing. >> winfrey, who credits mandela as the inspiration for her school in south africa, said being in his fence was like sitting with grace and majesty at the same time. and she added, one of the great honors of my life was to be invited to nelson mandela's home, spend private time and get to know him. he was everything you heard and more. humble and unscathed by bitterness. >> that is completely understandable.

mandela once said sports has the power to change the world. >> the 1995 rugby world cup in south africa, mandela donned the home team's jersey, which for generations had been linked to white south africa. it was a moment of national reconciliation. >> tiger woods, among the major sports stars weighing in on his death. woods and his father met mandela in 1998. >> he had an impact on my life and my father. and that time frame in which -- when he came out, could have -- the country could have fallen apart. it could have gone a lot of different ways. and he led it to where it's at now. and the world's going to miss him. >> mandela kept a low profile while south africa hosted soccer's 2010 world cup. his memorable appearance came before the final in johannesburg, when he was driven around the field among a thunderous ovation. it would be mandela's last public appearance. >> that smile is so charming.

up next, the first lady on her one and only meeting with mandela. >> and how this event is playing out in social media, unlike any other before it. ♪ [ male announcer ] even well-planned holidays can wind up at the corner of "stockings are stuffed" and "quick -- duck!" luckily, walgreens is always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out for extra stocking stuffers... or anything else you might suddenly need. stop by walgreens anytime for hershey's kisses chocolates, gift cards, and more. plus get up to 20 dollars in jingle cash on next week's purchase of 30 dollars or more. here at the corner of happy and healthy. ♪ [ male announcer ] laura's heart attack didn't come with a warning. today her doctor has her on a bayer aspirin regimen to help reduce the risk of another one. if you've had a heart attack, be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen.

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♪ i told him, you cannot imagine how important your legacy is to who i am, to who my husband is. and i just said, thank you. thank you. thank you.

>> first lady michelle obama expressing the thoughts of so many when it comes to nelson mandela. >> many well-known others, of course, taking to social media to have their say about him. abc's jim avila reports. >> reporter: nelson mandela made history in grainy black and white. but his death was fully covered by modern social media, approaching 4 million tweets in the first two hours after his death was announced. former president bill clinton posting this picture. a hand shake and the words, i will never forget my friend, madi madiba. and on facebook, president george w. bush, president mandela was one of the forces for freedom and equality of our time. he bore his burdens with dignity and grace. and our world is better off because of his example. it's the type of worldwide experience that draws young and old, black and white, to share feelings. charlize theron. my thoughts and love go out to the mandela family. rest in peace, madiba.

you will be missed. but your impact on this world will last forever. spike lee posted this picture with a simple message. and then, there's this one from nasa. intergalactic reaction from the space shuttle, posting a picture of mandela's beloved south africa. and the crowds continue to gather in front of mandela's home, perhaps the day's most poignant message from his own twitter account. death is something inevitable. when a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. a virtual memorial on social media. electronic good-byes for the man who brought the world together. jim avila, abc news, new york. well, those electronics good-byes are exploding across social media. newspapers, eulogizing the civil rights icon. >> some of this morning's notable headlines. britain's "daily mail." death of a colossus. "new york times" calling him fighter, prisoner, president and

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checking our top stories, now reactions to the death of nelson mandela are pouring in from around the globe. the former south african president died yesterday. he was 95 years old. president obama planning to lead the dell gration to south africa for a state funeral. and today, we get an important reading on the health of the u.s. economy, as the government releases the monthly jobs report. one survey found private companies added 215,000 jobs last month, beating expectations. >> looking at today's weather. rainy in the northeast. icy from the great lakes into texas. below zero in the northern plains. it will be even normally toasty. l.a. will stay in the 50s. finally this morning, a

parting tribute to nelson mandela. >> the leader, the pioneer and one of the world's most influential icons remembered this morning across the globe from people of all walks of life. >> for now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that nelson mandela lived. a man who took history in his hands. >> it was tremendous. it was just tremendous. there was a lot of excitement. the electricity in the air. and he was truly one of the great, great heroes of our time. >> i just want to say, it's extremely sad and tragic news. we're reminded what an extraordinary and inspiring man nelson mandela was. >> he showed us, with the clerk and the african in a how to build a nation. still has so much to go. but much further ahead than it was after apartheid. >> after all of the years he

spent in prison, you could see it didn't break him. >> he comes back and is president. >> he inspired me to be a better person. i'm sure he's in a better place. >> there's never been a greater man with a greater mind or heart in history. >> he took a lot of lessons that martin luther king had and mahatma gandhi. and he used them to free the south african people. >> i believe that his inspiration for the future will be every bit as powerful as the extraordinary things that he achieved in his remarkable life. ♪ >> this is the moment for people's sorrow. our nation has lost its greatest son. >> nelson mandela, finally at peace. that's what's making news in america this morning.

p. >> stay with us for "good morning america." have a great day. ♪ >> living up to a legacy. the world celebrating and remembering thely of nelson mandela this morning. we will take a look ahead at how they're carrying on his torch. >> >> investigators are on the scene of an alexandria hotel that had to be evacuated overnight. good morning, washington, i'm jummy olabanji. >> i'm autria godfrey. happy to have you along with us this friday morning. stepping outside this morning honestly felt like a rainy summer day. >> exactly. it was amazing, jacqui. >> unbelievable.